EU wants passengers arriving from China to receive systematic testing for COVID-19

European Union health Ministers have reached a consensus on how to handle travelers from China, as the country is gripped by a surge of COVID-19 infections. After a meeting in Brussels yesterday, the European Commission said that the overwhelming majority of the 27 member states of the EU want passengers arriving from China to receive systematic testing for COVID-19 prior to their arrival in the EU.

The Commission said, a lack of transparency and incomplete data on infections has led to an overwhelming majority of EU countries in favor of pre-departure testing.

A crisis meeting is also scheduled for today to coordinate a response across the bloc. According to media reports, a sudden influx of passengers from China coupled with the Chinese government’s reticence to permit the World Health Organization (WHO) to test for new variants has sparked various levels of concern among EU officials.

France, Spain, and Italy are among the EU nations that have already imposed new testing requirements on passengers arriving from China.